Thursday, April 30, 2009

I was in Wal-Mart this afternoon picking up some groceries and noticed that there’s a weight watcher’s location in the front of the store along with the eye center and bank. I’ve never seen one of these before. Kind of neat.

Those of you who attend Weight Watcher meetings, would you say that they are beneficial? I am currently an online member, but this summer I will have more time, so I’m wondering it it would be beneficial for me to attend meetings for a while. Sometimes just changing things around brings progress. Let me know what you all think.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Today was weigh in day and the picture taking has helped! I had a 2.4 loss this week! That’s a total loss of 25.6 lbs. I’m back on track and it feels good!

I’ve started watching Biggest Loser lately and that show is so inspirational. There are so many helpful tips on there too. I’ve even gotten my husband hooked! :) It’s just amazing how different they look and I want that for me too!!

Thanks for recommending Windows Live Writer, Darci! I really like it! I can’t wait to try it out with pictures soon!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

I know I said I was going to take pictures of everything I eat and post them here and that hasn't happened for a couple of days. The truth is, I've been taking the pictures but not taking the time to log on to post them. I've been so busy! I'm hoping that once the semester ends (FINALS NEXT WEEK) I'll feel like I have a little more free time. I really like the way that taking and posting pictures makes me stay more on track but I just wish it wasn't such a hassle and time consuming to actually get them posted here. I've been doing well though, and I'm hoping for a loss tomorrow.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

For breakfast I had an egg, 100 cal. English muffin, 1 slice ham, and 1/2 laughing cow cheese wedge. I also had 1/2 banana and 8 oz. Naked Juice Green Machine. 7.5 Pts.

I cleaned the house in the morning and did some laundry. Then for lunch I had 6 fish sticks, tartar sauce, frozen corn from the cob, and a raspberry swirl bar. The fish sticks were the ones I picked up at Sam's Club the other day. They are delicious and crunchy. 1 pt. per stick. 9 Pts. total for lunch.

After lunch we headed over to my husband's parents because we had a lot of boxes, etc. left over from when we built our garage that is kind of hard to send out in the trash. They had a fire going and we burned it all, they live in the country. We can't really do that here in town! When we came home I was a little hungry so I had 3 strawberries for a snack. 0 PTs.We ate an early supper of homemade lasagna, green beans and a cheese bread stick. 9.5 PTS. We grabbed a Schwann's cone from the freezer that we ate on our way to get some groceries for the week. 5 PTS. Then we came home and rented Yes Man, and I ate Jolly Time Healthy Pop Kettle Corn and some diet pop. 1 pt.Total Used: 32

I've started drinking about 1 1/2 cups of coffee every morning when I get to work. I add a very small amount of 1% milk and sweet and low. Not enough to count the points. I make it before I go to work and by the time I'm there, it's just the right temp to drink up until break time at 9:00.

I had 1 small plum for .5 pt.

We were super busy at work today, maybe it's the nice weather. I had lunch a little bit later than usual today because I was working on a long, complicated order for a customer. I rushed over to Sonic (it just opened up across from work and we're all thrilled about Happy Hour!!). The drive through was impossibly long, I waited for about 5 minutes and then went to the patio instead. Much faster. I ordered 1 grilled chicken wrap and I had a coupon for a free RT. 44. I got iced tea w/ sweet and low. That was the most amazing fast food wrap I have ever had and only 8 PTS.

After supper my husband and I headed to my university to attend a play. I usually have to attend one performance for at least one class each semester, so I really needed to get this done. The play was a little strange, the heat was broken and it was incredibly hot in there since it was in the 80's all day. The good news is that they gave us vouchers for free tickets because of the problem! I get in free as a student, but we have to pay $14 for my husband, so he'll get 2 free tickets!

After that we headed over to Cold Stone for a planned trip. I had 6.5 pts left for the day and decided this would be something I would want to use some of my weekly points on. I had a Like it, Founder's Favorite for 17 PTS. Sorry, didn't get a picture of this!

Total points used: 43.5

Daily Allowed: 33

Weekly used:10.5

Overall, this was another good day for me. A lot of times I feel guilty when eating ice cream like that, but I told myself, it's ok to eat ice cream once in a while. Ice cream itself is not evil, it's the over-indulgence that will hurt you. To be able to stick to a healthy lifestyle, you have to be able to incorporate "not so healthy" foods into your diet in a reasonable way. It's not even realistic to say that I'm not ever going to eat foods like that, so it's moderation that is important. Good lesson for me!

Friday, April 24, 2009

I've been wanting to do this for a long time but have never gotten around to it. Every time I try a new food I'd like to do a short review of it. I love finding out about new products and yummy food from you guys so I'll try to do my part!

I tried the Naked Juice Green Machine:

This was delicious. Drinking Naked Juice makes me feel good. It's like I'm eating all of the nutritious foods that I'd rather not eat in lieu of cookies or candy. :-P The true mind of a dieter, huh? These juices are LOADED with fruits, and in this case some veggies. Click HERE to find out what is all in it.

The Green Machine blend had more of a smoothie consistency. This isn't something to drink if you're trying to quench your thirst. It's thick and delicious. The Apple flavor sticks out the most. The color is a little disgusting, but the taste makes up for it. 3 PTs. for a 1 cup serving, but that's 1 serving of fruit for the day as this is 100% juice.

I have been able to find Naked Juice at Sam's Club and Target. Target has smaller bottles and more flavor selections.

I'd give this 4 out of 5 Apples. (instead of stars because this is a weight loss blog hehe, yes, I'm a bit of a nerd)

Secondly, I tried the Sonic Grilled Chicken Wrap. I was amazed with this one. Absolutely delicious and no exceptions. It totals out to 8 pts.The tortilla is soft but sturdy. This is a pretty safe "eat in the car" food. It's definitely not going to break through the tortilla. It may spill over the top as it is packed with grilled chicken, lettuce, tomatoes and light ranch. This is a filling option and not too bad points wise for a lunch or supper.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Does anyone else out there LOVEPanera bagels? I know they're probably not the most healthy thing in the world, but My husband and I love them. Recently, we had guests at our house and I picked up a baker's dozen of them to have for breakfast. We had quite a few left over, so like I do with everything we shouldn't eat a lot of, I put them in the freezer. Every once in a while we grab one for breakfast! They're still delicious! It's a great idea.

For my break at work today I had 1 small plum and 16 fat free pretzel sticks. 1.5 pts.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have to eat lunch in the car before school, so I had 1/2 WW Pita with ham, turkey and 1 light laughing cow cheese wedge, 1 serving Cheddar Sun Chips, and 1/2 cup strawberries. 5 Pts.

My job performance is partly rated on sales and mistakes per contact. If we meet both of those goals for the period we get a $50 gift card to WalMart. I finally met both goals at once, sales a little difficult in my position, so I got my gift card!! I found out that you can use them at Sam's Club, so after class today I went over to do some shopping and had $4.17 left over. Awesome when you can shop for free! I got some things that normally I wouldn't spend the $ on. I found Salmon burgers, fish sticks, 2 big bottle of Naked Juice, 100 Calorie English Muffins, Strawberries (did I mention Sam's Club has the best ones in the world!?), some 14 calorie fruit/ice cream bars, and some cheese crackers that my husband likes. I'm excited to try some of the new things.

For dessert, I had 1 of the new fruit/ice cream bars made by Swirlz. These are amazing by the way! I would really reccomend them and they're 0 pts.

Thursday seems to be the first day of the week that we have FREE! So It's become our bike ride day during the week. We went for a 30 minute bike ride. Short, but sweet.

Then, the Schwann's man came...*DUN DUN DUN* :) I had a Sundae cone for 5 PTs. I think it's worth it for these once in a while, or everyday...or maybe I shouldn't. :-P

Total Points: 31

Allowed: 33

2 points short again! This is wonderful. I know I'm supposed to use them all, but I've gone over for so many days in a row that 2 days short is fabulous!

Do you all like to hear what I do during my days or are you just interested in what I eat? That sounds funny. I could go into detail about what I'm doing throughout the day, but I don't know if anyone is interested in reading that? I know I like to read other people's posts about what they do as long as it's short and sweet most of the time and doesn't go on and on and on about things I don't know about. :) Let me know!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Ok, here is my first day back to taking pictures and I have to say that I think it is helping. Let's hope so! Isn't it crazy how I can't control myself by MYSELF, I have to take pictures to make sure that I am not eating too much of the wrong things. It's sad. I really hope to conquer this sickness or addiction or whatever you want to call it.

For breakfast I had 1 cup of Life Cinnamon cereal, 1 banana, 1/2 cup of 1% milk in my cereal, and 8 oz. of Naked Pomegranite Blueberry juice. I'll tell you about this later! :) 8 PTS total

For my 9:00 break I had 1 orange and 1/4 cup of pistachios. Are the points values based on in shell or out of shell? I measured them in shell. 5 PTS total

At my 1:15 break I got a little hungry and decided to have a bottle of Minute Maid Cranberry Apple Raspberry juice. I thought I was making a good choice, but after calculating the points it was 5 PTS total and not even 100% fruit juice. Better decision next time, but vending machines don't usually offer too many good choices! Although, my company changed the food vendor and they have nutritional info listed for most items in the vending machine (this one wasn't listed) which is really nice! They also have stickers indicating which items are healthiest for the food items, not the drinks.

I kept myself out of the kitchen when I got home! *VICTORY* :)

For supper I had 2 Eggo Low-Fat Nutrigrain Waffles topped with 1/4 cup light syrups and 4 egg whites topped with salsa for total of 5.5 PTS.

Did I mention that my MIL raises chickens for eggs? So we always have fresh, organic eggs. :)

For dessert I had 1/2 cup of fat free, no sugar added vanilla ice cream topped with 1/2 cup strawberries for 1 PT.

I didn't get a picture of this, butI was hungry before bed so I had 1 slice of light wheat toast w/ 1/2 tbps. reduced fat peanut butter. 1 PT.

I have done really well today and feel like it a new beginning (again)! :)I've taken pictures of everything I've eaten and can honestly say that knowing I will be accountable for everything that I eat to all of you bloggers, has made me not eat some things I would have otherwise wanted to!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

I had a great weekend at my sister's but I have to admit I didn't count points at all. I have gained a little bit of weight. I'm still struggling and this needs to stop!

SO, I have decided to start taking pictures of everything I eat again. This will begin tomorrow as it is the beginning of my new week. Tomorrow is also weigh in, and I will accept whatever it is and move on. Last time I did this, it really helped me make wiser choices and I started to lose a lot of weight.

Friday, April 17, 2009

We are having some beautiful weather out here! I just got in from a nice long walk outside. It's really sunny and a clear blue sky. 67* outside. It's beautiful.

They were looking for volunteers at work to go home early today. So I left early. I did a little shopping and then came home. It's the perfect day to be home! I need to get outside again. I got a really cute purse for Spring/Summer. I've been looking really hard for one that I like. I'm a little picky when it comes to my purses. All of the ones that I like are $100 plus and I don't want to spend that kind of money right now either! But I found a cheapie one for $24. It's pink and has a pink and white flower, really cute! I should take a picture of it.

We really enjoyed our bike ride last night. There's an old railroad track that they converted into a bike trail. It's in the middle of the country and so peaceful. It feels so good to get some activity in and I have been so much more faithful in doing that now that the weather is nice! Plus, biking is a great activity that my husband and I can do together.

We're going to my sister's house in Chicago for the weekend, so we're looking forward to that! It's supposed to rain here, but be sunny there, so I guess we lucked out!! Sounds like we'll be spending the day outside, which will be wonderful! :) We'll get to see our neice and nephew which will be great too. She's two and he's almost one. :)

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Today I lost .8 lbs. It's a loss and I am happy for that. I am 5 lbs. higher than my lowest weight which I did achieve when I was sick. I'm glad that I had a lost this week. I do wish that it was more but honestly, it's all that I deserved. I didn't give it 100% this past week, but I plan to this week!

I tried a Green Smoothie for the first time last night. I don't see what all the rage is about, but it wasn't terrible and I'll try it again. One good thing about it is that it really filled me up! I used 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup water, 2 cups spinach, 1 banana, and crushed ice. I added a small amount of splenda to sweeten it up too. I've seen other recipes using oranges, so I want to give that a try too!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

1. Reaching my 30 lb. goal2. Reaching every weight loss goal after that3. This semester to be over4. My walk tonight after supper settles5. Going to my sister's house this weekend6. A cruise this December (hopefully)7. Seeing my husband when he gets home tonight!8. Going for a bike ride Thursday night

8 Things I did yesterday:

1. Went to work2. Wrote a paper3. Read lots and lots4. Cooked5. Laundry6. Dishes7. Posted on a site for school8. Read Blogs

8 Things I wish I could do:

1. Move somewhere warmer2. Run a marathon3. Exercise and not get out of breath4. Travel to Europe5. Lose this weight!6. Graduate soon7. Find a job I love8. Win the lottery

8 Shows I watch:

1. The Biggest Loser2. The Office3. Prison Break4. Friends5. King of Queens6. Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader?7. That's it!8. " "

Sunday, April 12, 2009

I think my husband and I found a new hobby! We picked up our bikes yesterday. We went for a 40 minute ride last night and we really enjoyed it! It's such a workout for me, a lot easier for him! We were planning on going on about an hour long ride tonight but ended up going for 20 minutes because, well, I woke up this morning with a sore butt from the seat! I thought I could ignore it on the ride today, but no could do! It hurt too much to sit. I'm sure I'll get used to it and this won't be a problem in the future, I hope! So we did get a little ride in anyways, but I think we'll do other exercises for the next couple of days and let my butt rest. hehe. Who would have thought!? TMI? Sorry. :) We also went on a 45 minute walk yesterday, so yesterday was a good day for exercise. Small steps of improvement.

Someone offered a piece of advice for me that I really liked. They said, "If you dropped one plate and broke it, you wouldn't just break the rest of them. Or if you tripped up one stairs, you wouldn't just go back down the stairs." These were good analogies for me and they make perfect sense. I don't want to break anymore dishes! :)

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Nobody can help me stay on track but me. I can get all kinds of encouragement and suggestions, but unless I chose to follow the suggestions and make better choices on my own, I won't get anywhere. Once again, today is a new day and I know I can do it if I take control of my body and mind!

Yesterday, I got a nice 45 minute walk in. That felt good and I plan to do it again today. Hopefully, we'll be able to pick up the bikes tonight and get a ride in tomorrow afternoon/evening.

I feel like I am still struggling with eating the right foods, but I am starting to make some better decisions and slowly making progress.

1. I got in a 45 minute walk2. I drank all of my water3. We went to Carlos O' Kelly's and I ordered off of the light menu and only had one enchilada.4. My clothes are still fitting loose5. I am recognizing the fact that something is wrong and I need to fix it.

Friday, April 10, 2009

The past couple of days I honestly have not had the TIME to exercise. Yes, I could probably wake up earlier than my everyday 5 am, but to tell you the truth, that wouldn't be good for my mental health. :-P I'd be pretty grumpy! I think that the lack of exercise might be the reason I'm having some struggles food wise and feel slightly depressed. The weather is finally going to get nicer out, starting today!!! A high of 55 today and 58 tomorrow. My husband and I both have the day off today. We plan on doing some spring cleaning. Most importantly, I plan on getting in a nice long walk outside today. I think it's just what I need to cheer myself up and get motivated. Also, my friend at work has 2 bikes she wants to get rid of, they're like new and she'll sell them to us for $100 a piece, so I think that's a pretty good deal. I think we'll go pick them up tomorrow if all works out well. There's another thing I can do for more exercise! I really wanted one of those cruiser bikes, but they're a little on the expensive side, so we'll start with these mountain bikes and see how we like biking first. :)

I have been loaded down with reading lately. I guess that's what I get for being an English major. I actually had to take the day off yesterday (my half work day) before school and I spent the entire time reading. I had a discussion with like 5 people and the professor for 1 hr 15 minutes so I really wanted to be prepared. I'm glad I got that reading done! Tonight I have a meeting with my advisor to talk about my classes or the Fall semester. It's hard to believe it's that time of year again! School will be over at the beginning of next month, so I'm almost there! I think I had blogged about having some struggles in one of my classes at the beginning of the semester. She remains a furiously strict grader, but I studied hard for the midterm and miraculously got an A! So hopefully I can keep that up!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Today was weigh in day and while I did lose some weight from yesterday (FINALLY) I did gain a whole lot of weight for the week. 5.8 lbs. to be exact. But today is the beginning of a new week diet wise and I can start with a clean slate.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

First of all, I would like to say thank you to the two of you who responded to my last post. I appreciate your support. I just want to address some of the ideas that you threw at me as a means of moving forward.

Becca wrote, "I know you have been taking steps to get healthy, but it seems that you are focused on all the negative things that are happening. Maybe it would be helpful to make a list of all the things you are doing right, vs what you are doing wrong?"This is a good point. I tend to focus on everything that I do wrong and don't give myself credit for everything that I do right. This is true not only on this weight loss journey, but also in life in general. I like to beat myself up. Point taken. I need to work on that. I do want to say that while I always mention the things that I am doing wrong, this blog is my opportunity to be honest about how I am doing. I am admitting my faults so that I recognize what they are and can move on from them. This is my sounding board. This is where I admit everything that I am not doing right and confront it. But like Becca said, I need to concentrate on what I am doing right too! So, here's my list:

1. I have lost a lot of weight, it was almost 30 lbs. before I gained some back. This is a small set back and I can certainly lose that weight again. This is a huge accomplishment and this small set back is nothing in comparison to the bigger picture!2. I am moving more. I am getting exercise in multiple days a week and that is fantastic.3. I'm eating all of my 5 servings of fruits and veggies everyday, and sometimes more! I used to hardly eat any! I'm also getting in my dairy, and drinking all of my water. These are amazing choices and I will see the health benefits.4. I am learning to take better care of myself so that I can enjoy my life a lot more.5. I am helping my husband be healthier also. This will benefit the two of us.

Ok, so there's a start. A list of 5 things that I am doing right. I'm sure I could think of more. I think this will be a good strategy to use every time I start to feel discouraged. Thanks, Becca! :)

Leila wrote, "HI... :) I follow your blog. I don't even know your name! But you're an inspiration to me none the less."First of all, thanks for following my blog. :) My name is Alissa, by the way. And the fact that I could be an inspiration to someone else really makes me feel good. That's something to keep me going!

Leila also wrote, "It could be something deeper that's eating at you (harhar... i didn't realize I was making a pun until i wrote that.) and food is a coping mechanism, a type of self-medication. If you solve the deeper problem, perhaps the food cravings will calm down with it."I think that Leila hit the nail right on the head. I have come to realize that I eat for emotional reasons. Until Leila wrote this, I hadn't even thought about how stressed out I have been lately. I have had a lot of homework and we have guests coming this week so I have a lot of cleaning to do around the house. Not to mention work, where I got more responsibilities piled on me without any extra pay. I'm in that period where you have to start getting comfortable with new processes and procedures and until you get in that comfort zone, it can be a little overwhelming.

On the same note, in the back of my mind I feel like I am going to fail. It's a terrible feeling and I am trying my hardest to fight it. That little voice in my head says, "You'll probably fail this time, you've failed so many times in the past." When I start to see the weight start to come on again, I feel like it is because ultimately, I am going to fail. This is a deep issue for me and I think it is all about believing in myself. I need to have more faith in me and what I can accomplish if I put my mind to it.

In the end, I think it all comes down to the fact that I am just not trying hard enough. I am not saying no to the evil voice in my head that tells me to buy cookies out of the vending machine. I am not utilizing the skills that I had equipped myself with in the beginning when I would say, "Those cookies aren't going to get me closer to being healthy," and then I would turn for a carton of milk or eat the fruit that I brought with me. I need to suck it up and get with it. Work harder Alissa!!! (I realize this post is making me sound schizophrenic. hehe)

So those are my thoughts. Today, after getting on the scale this morning and gaining yet another pound, my goal has been to only eat foods that I would consider safe for a "diet." I've done so well today and I am proud of myself for that. I need to give credit where credit is due.

Sorry this is so long, and if you have read through all of this, thanks for listening! :)

Monday, April 6, 2009

I'm having a really hard time right now with this weight loss thing. I don't know if it's because I am back to eating normal after being sick or that I haven't been watching my points like I should be, especially this past weekend. It's probably a combination of both. I've gained weight and gained weight. For example, I have gained 7 lbs. since weigh in on Wednesday. I am so depressed and discouraged. What to do, what to do! Usually, I'll gain a couple of pounds and then lose a few and it makes up for it. I have never gained back this much weight yet! It's terrible! I need help. I need encouragement. I need to stop eating sweets. I'm so hungry all the time. Today has been a good day minus the fact that I decided I needed a package of nutter butters from the vending machine. I wanted them right after I had lunch and I told myself, wait until your next break and if you want them then, go ahead. Well, I still wanted them. They were 410 calories for the pack. Not so good!

I really want to meet my goals...I'm just having a really hard time right now!

Friday, April 3, 2009

My mom and I had a great time shopping in Des Moines today. The great news is that I am buying shirts that are 2 sizes smaller than I was before! :) I am now fitting in comfortably to a 1x and I was wearing a 3x. I'm still in plus sizes of course, but eventually I won't! My hips are larger, so I can't say how much I've shrunk there as I didn't buy any bottoms. I did try on a dress at Lane Bryant and it was a size 14, and it fit!!! There's something weird going on there though because I definitely don't wear a 14. But the fact that I got it on was pretty nice. :-P Someday I'll be there too! Actually, about a month ago I bought (and wear) a size 14/16 shirt. So who knows. My top is smaller than my bottom though. I got a few new things which will be nice!

Not so awesome, we went to O'Charley's for lunch. I had never been there before. Very delicious! I got soup, salad (with light dressing) and rolls. The rolls were so good I had 2 of them (6 pts total), the salad was 7 pts I think. BUT, it was unlimited everything and I ended up having 2 bowls of soup and that was like 20 points! I was starving. Now I'm still full! But, I had a fun day and tomorrow will go a lot better. At least I didn't get a burger, fries and a milk shake for lunch. :-P

I'm still coughing, but if the weather permits, I'm going to try to get outside to go for a walk tomorrow. I really need to increase my activity again since I've been sick. I hope it's nice, today is beautiful!!!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

So today my mom came to visit. We met for lunch at IHop. I was thinking, I can make a good decision and eat something that isn't too high in points. I wasn't able to plan my meal before we went. So I ordered a bowl or soup and a BLT. I got home and figured my points and the sandwich alone is 15 points! I think the soup was probably 7! That's insane! So I have only a few points left for the day and we're having chinese tonight. I'll just use my weekly points and not eat the entire meal. I guess I am not ready to make healthy choices on my own!

I'm excited for my mom to be here! I have tomorrow off of work and we're planning a shopping trip! It'll be fun to see if I'm fitting into any smaller sizes! I know some of my clothes are starting to get too big, which is a good feeling!